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The Complete Guide to Every iOS 27 Feature

How to get live captions of spoken audio on iPad

by Kevin Hollington

With Live Captions on iPad, you can get a real-time transcription of spoken audio. Use Live Captions to more easily follow the audio in any app, such as FaceTime or Podcasts, and in live conversations around you.

You can set it up and customize it, and choose whether to save captions from calls for one minute or one hour.

Here’s how to get live captions of spoken audio on iPad.

Note: Live Captions is available on supported models. Live Captions isn’t available in all languages, countries or regions. The accuracy of Live Captions may vary and shouldn’t be relied upon in high-risk or emergency situations.

Set up and customize Live Captions

  1. Open the Settings app on your iPad.
  2. Tap Accessibility and tap Live Captions. Then turn on Live Captions.
  3. Tap Appearance to customize the text, size, and color of the captions.
  4. Tap Keep Call Captions and then choose an option:

    • 1 Minute: Select 1 Minute to save captions from calls for up to one minute during a call. All call captions are cleared after the call ends. If you select 1 Minute, you won’t be able to copy, take a screenshot, or take a screen recording of the call transcription.
    • 1 Hour: Select 1 Hour to save captions from calls for up to one hour after a call ends. If you select 1 Hour, you’ll be able to copy, take a screenshot, and take a screen recording of the call transcription.

    Note: When you choose 1 Hour, all call participants hear a brief audio announcement (“This call is being transcribed”) at the start of the call. If Live Captions is paused or the Keep Call Captions options is changed from 1 Hour to 1 Minute during a call, all participants hear an audio announcement (“This call is no longer being transcribed”).

Use Live Captions

Once you turn on Live Captions, iPad transcribes the spoken audio in apps, or from dialogue around you, automatically, and then you can do any of the following:

  • Transcribe an in-person conversation: Tap Live Captions, then tap Microphone.
  • Transcribe iPad audio: Tap Live Captions, then tap iPad Audio.
  • Pause the transcription: Tap Live Captions, then tap Pause Listening.
  • Copy the transcription: Tap the More Options button, then tap Copy Captions. You can paste your transcriptions in another app—like in Notes or Messages.
  • Clear the transcription: Tap the More Options button, then tap Clear All.
  • Move the Live Captions window: Drag the Live Captions window to reposition it on the screen.
  • Make the Live Captions window longer or shorter: Drag the bottom of the Live Captions window up or down.
  • Hide the Live Captions window: The Live Captions window is automatically hidden when no audio is detected. If the window is showing, swipe left or right on the window to hide it. To restore the window, tap the Live Captions Collapsed button.
  • Make the transcription window full-screen: Tap the Maximize button. To restore the window to the smaller size, tap the Minimize button.
  • Take a screenshot or screen recording of the transcription: Position the Live Captions window, then take a screenshot or take a screen recording.

Note: Screenshots, screen recordings, and copying transcriptions work during and after a call only if you selected 1 Hour when you set up Live Captions.

See also

Tags: accessibility, Live Captions
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How to display subtitles and captions on iPad

by Chris Smith

iPad can provide subtitles, closed captions, and transcriptions so you can follow along more easily with audio and video. On supported models, you can also get automatic subtitles, including in another language.

In a supported app, subtitles and closed captions can be turned on when they’re available, and you can customize how they look. You can also choose accessible captions, like subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing (SDH). Subtitles transcribed from spoken audio are labeled in the list of subtitles, too.

Note: Generated subtitles and viewing subtitles in multiple languages is supported on iPadOS 27 or later and is available on iPad mini (A17 Pro) and iPad models with M1 or later. Generated subtitles are available in English (U.S. and Canada) when the content doesn’t include them.

An iPad showing an example of subtitles with a custom style.

Turn on subtitles and captions in supported apps

If a supported app has subtitles and closed captions for the video content you’re playing, you can turn them on. iPad usually shows standard subtitles and captions. Special accessible captions are another choice when available, including subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing (SDH).

Note: You may see subtitles appear automatically in supported apps. Those transcribed from spoken audio are labeled “Transcribed” in the list of subtitles, and those translated into another language are labeled “Translated”.

  1. While playing video content, tap the Legible Options button.
  2. Choose from the list of available subtitles and captions.

Customize the subtitles and captions in supported video apps

  1. Open Settings, tap Accessibility, and then tap Subtitles & Captioning.
  2. If you prefer closed captioning or subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing when available, turn on Closed Captions + SDH.
  3. Tap Style and choose an existing caption style or create a new style based on the following:
    • Font, size, and color
    • Background color and opacity
    • Text opacity, edge style, and highlight

Manage when subtitles automatically appear

In a supported app, subtitles may appear automatically when your iPad is muted, when you skip back a few seconds, or when the video is in another language. The same goes for generated subtitles from videos in Photos and Messages.

  1. Open the Settings app on your iPad.
  2. Tap Accessibility, tap Subtitles & Captioning, and tap Automatic Subtitles.
  3. Do any of the following:
    • Automatically show subtitles in your preferred language: Turn on When Languages Don’t Match.
    • Automatically turn on subtitles when volume is muted: Turn on Show When Muted.
    • Temporarily turn on subtitles when you skip back in a video: Turn on Show on Skip Back.

View generated subtitles in another language

With on-device translation, iPad can generate subtitles in another language in supported apps. Translation works when a video has English subtitles available. If you’ve added more than one preferred language in Settings, you can see the subtitles translated into one of your other languages.

  1. While playing video content, tap the Captions button.
  2. Tap Languages, then choose the language you’d like to view subtitles in.

See also

Tag: accessibility
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How to protect your journal entries on iPhone

by Tyler Stephen

In the Journal app, there are a number of ways you can protect your journal entries. You can lock your journal, you can sync your journal entries with iCloud, and you can include your journal entries in your iPhone backup if you encrypt your iPhone backup and store it locally on your computer or external storage device.

With iCloud, your entries and your changes show up on every iPhone, iPad, and Mac signed in to your Apple Account with Journal turned on.

Keep your entries in sync across your devices with iCloud

Your entries appear on your iPhone, iPad, and Mac, along with any changes you make to them. Each device needs Journal turned on in iCloud settings and the same Apple Account signed in.

  1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
  2. Tap your name, then tap iCloud.
  3. Tap See All next to Saved to iCloud, then turn on Journal.

How do I back up my journal entries?

Your entries are only included in a backup of your iPhone if your iPhone backup is encrypted and stored locally on your computer or an external storage device. That gives you a copy of your entries to use if your iPhone is ever replaced, lost, or damaged. In Settings, you can check that your entries sync to iCloud, but journal entries aren’t included in iCloud backups.

Lock your journal

To keep your journal private, make it so only you can access it, using Face ID, Touch ID, or your passcode.

A screen in the Journal app that prompts you to use Face ID to unlock your journal.

You can lock your journal from either of these places:

  • In the Journal app: Above the Insights summary, tap the More button, then tap Lock Journal.
  • In the Settings app: Go to Settings > Apps > Journal, then tap Lock Journal.
Tags: iCloud, Journal
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How to connect Magic Trackpad to iPad

by Moses Johnson

You can connect Magic Trackpad, including Magic Trackpad 2, to your iPad (Magic Trackpad sold separately). If it’s already paired with your Mac or another iPad, though, you must unpair them first, and you can reconnect it to your iPad later.

Pair Magic Trackpad

  1. Make sure Magic Trackpad is turned on and charged.
  2. On iPad, open Settings, tap Bluetooth, and then turn on Bluetooth.
  3. Select the device when it appears in the Other Devices list.

Note: Before you can connect Magic Trackpad to your iPad, unpair Magic Trackpad from your Mac or another iPad if it’s paired there, by doing one of the following:

  • On iPhone or iPad: See Unpair a Bluetooth accessory.
  • On macOS 13 or later: Choose Apple menu > System Settings, click Bluetooth in the sidebar, Control-click the device, then choose Forget.
  • On macOS 12.5 or earlier: Choose Apple menu > System Preferences, click Bluetooth, Control-click the device, then click Remove.

Reconnect Magic Trackpad to iPad

Turn the Magic Trackpad switch to Off, or move it or iPad out of Bluetooth® range (about 33 feet, or 10 meters), and the trackpad disconnects.

To reconnect, turn the trackpad switch to On, or bring the trackpad and iPad back into range, then click the trackpad.

See also

Tag: Trackpad and Mouse
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How to get driving directions in Maps on iPad

by Moses Johnson

You can get detailed driving directions to your destination. When you drive in select cities, you see enhanced details for crosswalks, bike lanes, and buildings, plus a street-level perspective that helps you find the right lane at complex intersections (supported models).

You can also estimate travel time for a future departure or arrival, and avoid tolls. You can get directions from anywhere on the map, or from an address you search for.

Here’s how to get driving directions in Maps on iPad.

Note: Turn-by-turn spoken directions and directions for multiple stops aren’t available in all countries or regions. Features for Wi-Fi + Cellular models require a cellular data plan and Cellular Data turned on in Settings > Apps > Maps. See View or change cellular data settings.

Get driving directions

  1. Go to the Maps app on your iPad.
  2. Do either of the following:
    • Touch and hold anywhere on the map, then tap Directions.
    • Enter an address in the search field, then tap the blue button that displays the Driving icon and the travel time.
  3. Tap the directions button and then tap Go or Steps for the route you want to take.

If your preferred travel mode is Walking, Transit, or Cycling, tap the directions button, then tap the Driving button.

An iPad showing a map with several driving route options to the same destination. Each route shows the estimated time and distance, and a Steps button to see detailed directions. Color coding on each route indicates traffic conditions.

Siri: Ask Siri something like, “Give me driving directions home.” Learn how to use Siri.

Estimate travel time for a future departure or arrival

  1. Open the Maps app on your iPad.
  2. Get driving directions, as above.
  3. Tap Options (below Directions), tap Leave at or Arrive by, select a time and date, and then tap the Done button.

    The estimated travel time may change based on predicted traffic.

Avoid tolls or highways

  1. Open the Maps app on your iPad.
  2. Get driving directions, as above.
  3. Tap Options (below Directions), make your choices (below Avoid) and then tap the Done button.

Show or hide the compass or the speed limit

If you have an iPad with Wi-Fi + Cellular, you can show or hide the compass or speed limit.

  1. Open the Settings app on your iPad.
  2. Tap Apps, then tap Maps.
  3. Below Directions, tap Driving. Turn on or off Compass and Speed Limit.

See also

Tag: Maps
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How to use iPad more comfortably while riding in a vehicle

by Chris Smith

If you experience discomfort when you use iPad while riding as a passenger in a car or other on-road vehicle, you can turn on Vehicle Motion Cues—onscreen cues that may help reduce motion sickness. Vehicle Motion Cues appear as animated dots on the edges of the screen that represent how the vehicle is moving without interfering with what you’re doing on iPad.

You can customize the pattern, color, and visibility of the dots, like using larger dots or more dots.

Note: Vehicle Motion Cues should not be used while operating a moving vehicle and in other situations requiring attention to safety. For important information about avoiding distractions that could lead to dangerous situations, see Important safety information for iPad. Vehicle Motion Cues work best when you’re seated facing forward in the vehicle.

Use iPad more comfortably while riding in a vehicle

  1. Open the Settings app on your iPad.
  2. Tap Accessibility, then tap Motion.
  3. Tap Vehicle Motion Cues and then turn on Vehicle Motion Cues.
  4. To show or hide Vehicle Motion Cues, open Control Center and tap the Vehicle Motion Cues button.

    Tip: You can also set up a shortcut to turn Vehicle Motion Cues on or off. See Quickly turn accessibility features on or off.

Customize Vehicle Motion Cues

  1. Open the Settings app on your iPad.
  2. Tap Accessibility, then tap Motion.
  3. Tap Vehicle Motion Cues and tap Customize Appearance.
  4. Customize any of the following:
    • Pattern: Select Regular for a stable and predictable pattern, or Dynamic for a more engaging visual experience.
    • Color: Select a color. Color saturation will automatically adjust to maintain contrast with the content behind each dot.
    • Visibility: Select Larger Dots to increase the size of the dots or More Dots to increase the number of dots.

See also

Tag: accessibility
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How to browse your photo collections on iPad

by Dave Johnson

Your photos and videos are organized into curated collections such as Memories, Trips, People & Pets, and more. Some collections are also organized by category such as Live Photos, Selfies, Recently Saved, and Recently Viewed.

You can change how collections are displayed, reorder them, and pin your favorite collections and albums. You can also see all the collections in a category, and view collections with larger or smaller image tiles, or with no images at all.

Here’s how to browse your photo collections on iPad.

The Photos app is open and the Collections tab is selected in the sidebar.

View your collections

  1. Open the Photos app on your iPad.
  2. Tap Collections.
  3. Swipe up to view the collections.

    Under each collection heading, swipe left or right to see different collections. Or tap the heading to see all the collections in that category.

  4. Tap a collection to open it.

Quick tip: To close the sidebar, tap the Hide Sidebar button, and to bring it back, tap the Toggle Sidebar button.

Change the collections display

Collections can show larger or smaller image tiles, or none at all, and you can change the order they appear on the screen.

  1. Open the Photos app on your iPad.
  2. Tap Collections.
  3. Tap the More button and then do any of the following:
    • Enlarge the size of the collection tiles: Tap the Large Grid button.
    • Reduce the size of the collection tiles: Tap the Small Grid button.
    • Show the default display: Tap the Mixed Grid button.
    • Hide the collection tiles: Tap Collapse All.
    • Reorder collections: Tap Reorder, drag a collection into a new position, and then tap the Done button.
    • Choose which photo library to include in collections (if you’re part of an iCloud Shared Photo Library): Tap Both Libraries, Personal Library, or Shared Library.

Quick tip: For a single collection, tap the Forward button to hide its image tiles, then tap it again to stop hiding them.

By default, videos and Live Photos automatically play when you tap Collections. To turn autoplay off, tap your account in the top-right corner, then turn off Auto-Play Motion and Loop Videos.

Reorder collections

You can change the order of collections so the ones you go to most frequently appear first. For example, if you frequently view your Shared Albums, you can move them above other collections.

  1. Open the Photos app on your iPad.
  2. Tap Collections.
  3. Scroll to the bottom of the screen and tap Reorder. Then drag a collection into a new position.
  4. Tap Done.

You can also tap the More button, then tap Reorder.

Pin collections and albums

The Pinned collection at the top of the screen holds whatever you choose, so your most-viewed collections are easy to find.

  1. Open the Photos app on your iPad.
  2. Tap Collections.
  3. Tap Edit (to the right of the Pinned heading), then do any of the following:

    • Remove a pinned collection: Tap the Remove button and tap the Trash button.
    • Pin a collection: Tap the suggested collection you want to add, or tap Any Collection or Album to see more options.
    • Reorder pinned collections: Touch and hold a pinned collection. Then drag it to a new position.

      Note: Collections with the Remove button next to them are currently in your pinned collections. Collections with the Add button next to them are not yet pinned.

  4. When you’re done, tap the Close button.

Quick tip: To add a collection to Pinned, touch and hold it and tap Pin. To take it off Pinned later, touch and hold it again, then tap Unpin.

Filter and sort items in a collection

Filter items in a collection by category, like Edited, Rating, or Captured by Me, or sort them so the newest or oldest show first.

  1. Open the Photos app on your iPad.
  2. Tap Collections, then tap a collection to open it.
  3. Tap the Sort and Filter button and then do either of the following:
    • Filter items: Tap the filter you want to apply.
    • Sort items: Tap Sort By. Tap Newest First or Oldest First.

See also

Tag: Photos
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How to customize onscreen motion on iPad

by Tyler Stephen

You can turn on Reduce Motion to customize onscreen motion, and with it off, you’ll see even more motion, including the fluid morphing effects of Liquid Glass. Turning on Vehicle Motion Cues adds animated dots to the edges of the screen, which may help reduce motion sickness. It’s also possible to customize how some elements on the screen move, such as:

  • Motion effects for wallpaper, apps, and alerts
  • Screen transitions
  • Siri animations
  • Typing autocompletion
  • Animated full-screen and bubble effects in the Messages app
  • Animated images on the web and in apps

Customize onscreen motion

  1. Open the Settings app on your iPad.
  2. Tap Accessibility, then tap Motion.
  3. Do any of the following:
    • Reduce Motion: Turn on. (When off, you’ll see more motion, like the fluid morphing effects of Liquid Glass.)
    • Vehicle Motion Cues: Turn on. You can also customize the appearance of the cues including the pattern, color, and visibility. (When on, animated dots appear on the edges of the screen and may help reduce motion sickness.)
    • Auto-Play Animated Images: Turn off. (When on, rapid animated images and moving elements such as GIFs in Messages and Safari play automatically.)
    • Auto-Play Video Previews: Turn off. (When on, it allows apps such as the App Store to automatically play video previews.)
    • Auto-Play Message Effects: Turn off. (When on, the Messages app automatically plays full-screen effects. If you turn this setting off, you can still manually play effects by tapping Replay below the message bubble.)
    • Prefer Non-Blinking Cursor: Turn on. (Stop the blinking of the vertical bar that appears at the insertion point where you’re typing. If you use a braille display with iPad, the cursor indicator on the display also stops blinking.)
    • Limit Frame Rate: Turn on. (On models with ProMotion display technology, this limits the maximum frame rate of the display to 60 frames per second.)

Reduce flashing and strobing lights in videos

  1. Open the Settings app on your iPad.
  2. Tap Accessibility, then tap Display & Text Size.
  3. Turn on Dim Flashing Lights.

Reduce bright effects of onscreen elements

You can reduce highlighting and flashing effects that may appear when interacting with certain onscreen elements, like the keyboard.

  1. Open the Settings app on your iPad.
  2. Tap Accessibility, then tap Display & Text Size.
  3. Turn on Reduce Bright Effects.

To apply some of these effects to specific apps, read our guide, Customize visual accessibility settings for specific apps.

Important: Your iPad uses an on-device algorithm to detect flashing or strobing lights included in supported media and automatically dims them on your iPad in real time. Motion settings should not be relied upon in high-risk situations, or for the treatment of any medical condition.

See also

Tag: accessibility
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How to add keywords to photos and videos on iPhone

by Abigail Shilets

Keywords are tags or labels you add to your photos and videos to help you easily find them. After assigning keywords, you can search for photos and videos by the keywords associated with them.

You can type more than one keyword at a time when you search, and you can rename, delete, or favorite keywords later. A favorite keyword shows up as a filter option in your photo library, albums, and collections.

Here’s how to add keywords to photos and videos on iPhone.

Add keywords

  1. Start the Photos app on your iPhone.
  2. Open a photo or video.
  3. Tap the Info button or swipe up on the image.
  4. Tap Add Keywords, enter your custom keyword or keywords, and tap the Done button. If you’ve already added keywords and want to add more, tap Edit in the field where the keywords appear.
  5. Swipe down to close the Info menu.

Search for photos and videos by keyword

  1. Start the Photos app on your iPhone.
  2. Tap the Search button, then enter the keyword. As you type, suggested search results appear below the search field. Search results for keywords have Aa before them. Tip: You can type multiple keywords separated by spaces.
  3. Tap the suggested search result to view all the photos and videos with the keyword you entered.
  4. Tap the Close button to close the keyword search results.

Manage keywords

  1. Start the Photos app on your iPhone.
  2. Tap Collections. Tap your profile in the top-right corner of the screen.
  3. Tap Manage Keywords, tap a keyword, and tap any of the following:
    • Add to Favorite: Adds the keyword to the Keyword filter options in your photo library, albums, and collections.
    • Rename: Changes the name of the keyword applied to your photos and videos.
    • Delete: Removes the keyword from your photos and videos.
  4. Tap Add Keywords at the bottom of the screen to create a new keyword.
Tag: Photos
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How to control Live Listen on iPhone from Apple Watch

by Tyler Stephen

With Live Listen, you can stream sound from the microphone on iPhone to your MFi hearing devices or AirPods. This can help you hear better in some situations—for example, when having a conversation in a noisy environment.

And you don’t have to reach for your phone to control it. When you use Live Listen on your iPhone, you can remotely start, stop, or jump back in the session from your nearby paired Apple Watch. With Live Captions generated on your iPhone, you can also view the transcription of the conversation directly on your wrist, with the text appearing on your Apple Watch screen in real time as your iPhone picks up audio.

It’s especially helpful when you want to discreetly read conversations or need visual reinforcement of audio content, whether you’re in a noisy restaurant, attending a lecture, or simply prefer reading along, or when it’s hard to hear clearly.

Note: Live Captions isn’t available in all languages, countries, or regions. The accuracy of Live Captions may vary and shouldn’t be relied upon in high-risk or emergency situations.

Set up Apple Watch as a remote control for Live Listen

Starting Live Listen requires turning on Remote Control and adding the Hearing Controls to Control Center on Apple Watch first.

Note: You need your iPhone and Apple Watch signed in to the same Apple Account.

  1. Start the Settings app on your iPhone.
  2. Tap Accessibility, tap Audio & Visual and tap Live Listen. Turn on Remote Control.
  3. On your Apple Watch, press the side button to open Control Center.
  4. Scroll to the bottom and tap Edit. Tap the Add button.
  5. Tap Accessibility and then tap the Hearing Controls button to add the Hearing Controls to Control Center.

Use Apple Watch as a remote control for Live Listen

From Apple Watch, you can start a new session or control one that’s already in progress.

  1. Position your iPhone near the sound source.
  2. Press the side button to open Control Center and tap the Hearing Controls button.
  3. In the Hearing Devices window, scroll down to Live Listen.
  4. Do any of the following:
    • Start a session: Turn on Live Listen.
    • Rewind: Tap Go back 10 seconds.
    • Return to the live audio stream: Tap Skip back to live.
    • View the live transcription: Tap Live Listen Captions.
    • Stop the session: Turn off Live Listen.

See also

Tags: accessibility, Control Center
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